BOSTON – Senior Becca Church recorded her first career hat trick to lead the Boston University women’s lacrosse team to an 8-6 victory over Holy Cross on Wednesday night at Nickerson Field. Playing its first home game of the season, BU improves to 2-5 overall and 2-0 in Patriot League play while Holy Cross drops to 4-6 on the year and 2-1 in the PL.

Down 2-1 almost midway through the first half, BU scored six unanswered goals to take a 7-2 lead with 16:55 remaining in the game. Holy Cross responded with a four-goal run to make it a one-point game, 7-6, with 8:04 on the clock but sophomore Jill Horka found the back of the net with 6:13 to play to give the Terriers the 8-6 advantage.

Church scored a career-high three goals to lead the Terriers while junior Kelsey Marafioti and Horka added two goals each. Sophomore Ally Adams also found the back of the net for BU while junior Lindsay Weiner dished out three assists.

Freshman Caroline Meegan made the start in goal for BU and made four saves in 49:54 minutes of action before senior Christina Sheridan played the final 10:06 minutes of the game and made a pair of stops.

Church opened the game with a goal in BU’s first possession before Holy Cross countered with a tally from Kaitlin Concilio with 24:23 on the clock. Almost eight minutes later, the Crusaders took their only lead of the game, 2-1, with an unassisted strike from Laura Ryan.

Marafioti evened the game at 2-2 with her first goal of the night with 12:07 left in the opening half. Adams scored the last goal of the half with 5:49 on the clock to send the Terriers into the break with a 3-2 lead.

Horka put the Terriers on the board in the second half just over four minutes into the period. Church scored the BU’s next two goals to complete her hat trick with 17:45 left in the game. Marafioti followed with the sixth unanswered goal for the Terriers put BU on top, 7-2, with 16:55 to play.

The Crusaders ended their scoring drought with a free position goal from Margie Smith which was followed by a pair of goals from Laura Ryan. Tess MacKay then scored the fourth straight goal for Holy Cross to make it a one-goal game, 7-6, with 8:04 to go.

Horka gave the Terriers a two-goal lead, with 6:13 remaining and BU held on for the 8-6 win.

BU outshot Holy Cross, 31-15, and held a 24-16 lead in ground balls. The Terriers also edged the Crusaders in draw controls, 9-7.

The Terriers return to the road this weekend when BU travels to Annapolis, Md., to face No. 19 Navy. The game is set to begin at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network.